The spiders are near identical members of the Tegenaria genus and have a distinct east-west divide, with one species Tegenaria saeva living largely in the west and its close relation Eratigena atrica in the east and the Midlands. It takes an expert with a magnifying glass and an intimate knowledge of spider anatomy to tell the difference.

A good size female’s dark brown body is slightly larger than the males, but his dark, menacing legs are one and half times longer than the female.

The long legs are not only perfect for making mad dashes across the carpet to strike terror into the hearts of the unwary but also to help them track down mates.

As the autumn equinox arrives, so has the mating season for many of the 600 species of spider that occur naturally in the UK.

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Vanessa Amaral-Rogers, from Buglife, said: "“Autumn is the time of year when many of us get our houses invaded by rather large and (for some of us) rather scary eight-legged creatures.

“For the most part, these are male house spiders (Tegenaria species) and they are on the prowl and filled with intent. They are on the search for females and will explore every corner of your house looking for the lady spider of their dreams.

“It is quite easy to work out the gender of a house spider. The males have smaller bodies but longer legs than the females and the palps - like tiny legs either side of their jaws - look like little arms with boxing gloves. They are the ones more prone to running across your carpet.

“The female palps are slimmer and the body can be twice as big. Females tend to stay put in their webs, which might be located behind a bookcase or in an air vent. It is down to the males to go on the search for the female."

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She added: “The species of house spider you get will partly depends on where you live. In the south-east it tends to be Eratigena atrica. In the west, it tends to be Tegenaria saeva and in the north it could be either of these two or even hybrids (where the two species have interbred). The smaller Tegenaria domestica is found everywhere but may be declining as the larger species spread north.

“House spiders are basically harmless but if you don’t like to cohabit with them, we recommend you use a humane spider removal device and release them into your garden.

“If you want to learn to coexist with these wonderful creatures in your home but aren’t too keen on them, try giving them a name and take a bit of time watching their behaviour, you’ll soon learn to live with these fantastic little housemates.”

NC

The super-quick Giant House Spiders are invading homes across Britain

For the exhausted male giant house spiders that will not be too long. An autumn of rampant sex soon takes it toll.

As the British Arachnological Society (BAS) explains: “Large house spiders take two years to reach maturity. They emerge from the egg sac in late spring and grow to about half-size by the following winter, during which, in most habitats, growth ceases as the food supply dwindles.

“In spring growth is resumed, with males maturing in July/August and females in September/October.

“In early autumn males go in search of females, and it is this time of year when these species are most noticeable, running across carpets and falling into sinks and baths.

“A male finds a female close to maturation and guards her until she undergoes her final moult.

“Mating then takes place on the female’s web after preliminary bouts of palp-tapping and abdomen-bobbing by the male.

“Afterwards the male continues to co-habit with the female, mating repeatedly, until he eventually dies. The female overwinters with stored sperm and the next spring produces a succession of egg sacs, each containing around 40 to 60 eggs.

"The number of egg sacs produced depends on food supply but it can be 10 or more and they are often ‘decorated’ with debris such as the remains of flies. Females usually die before the next winter.”

NC

Most Giant House Spiders only attack when provoked

At London Zoo, this year’s Friendly Spider Programme, which helps people overcome their fear about the invertebrates, has sold out.

ZSL London Zoo’s Head of B.U.G.S. and spider expert, Dave Clarke, says: “For more than 20 years we’ve been helping people face their fear of spiders through the Friendly Spider Programme. We’ve been inundated with people wanting to overcome their phobia, and get amazing feedback about the positive changes in peoples’ lives.

“It’s really important to educate people about the importance of arachnids and how they can be a welcome addition to our homes. They are fascinating creatures and we’ve recently opened a brand new walk-through exhibit ‘In with the Spiders’ at ZSL London Zoo to help us do this.”